Device for determining finger-hole positions in bowling balls



Nov. 10, 1964 J. G. HENDRICKS 3,156,050

DEVICE FOR DETERMINING FINGER-HOLE POSITIONS IN BOWLING BALLS Filed March 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

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WM VW ATTORNEYS 1964 J. G. HENDRICKS 3,156,050

DEVICE FOR DETERMINING FINGER-HOLE POSITIONS IN BOWLING BALLS Filed March 25, 1962 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F l G. 6

jof INVENTPR. wmzzzm ATTORNEYS United States Patent DEVICE FOR DETERMIVING FHN GER-HOLE POSITIONS IN BOWLING BALLS John G. Hendricks, Weston, Mass, assignor to Stowe- Woodward, Inc., Newton Upper Falls, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 182,061

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-174) The present invention relates to the drilling of fingerholes in bowling balls and, more particularly, to the provision of such finger-holes in conformity with the particular dimensions of the hand of an individual bowler. Although the casual bowler may be satisfied to choose the most comfortably handled among pro-drilled bowling balls that may be available on a particular occasion, the serious or professional bowler often finds it advantageous to use a ball, the finger-holes of which have been particularly fitted to his hand. The present invention contemplates a novel device by which fingerhole positions, finger-hole sizes and bowling ball weight may be adjusted to provide the bowler with the precise feel that he will experience when a bowling ball of particular weight is drilled to particular finger-hole specifications.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel device of the foregoing type in the form of a ball-like configuration having a construction that simply and efficaciously enables the selection of the size of the thumb-hole, the sizes of the middle-finger and ring-finger holes, the distance between the thumb-hole and the middle-finger and ring-finger holes, the sizesof the middle-finger and ring-finger holes and the weight of the ball. Essentially, the ball-like configuration has three zones including a medical zone and a pair of opposed zones between which the medial zone is disposed. These zones cooperate to provide an overall spherical contour. The medial zone is provided with two spiral rows of finger-holes, each row having successive pairs of middle and ring-finger holes, of which corresponding successive holes gradually increase in diameter. The holes of one of the rows is deeper than the holes of the other. One of the pair of the opposed zones is provided with a cavity, within which is universally pivoted a solid sector that is provided with a sequence of thumb holes of successively increasing diameter. At the other of the pair of opposed zones is a cavity within which are removably secured a sequence of heavy metal weights.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the device possessing the features, properties and relation of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative component of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1, taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a partly broken-away, partly-sectional view, the section being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5. v

The device shown in the drawings as illustrating the present invention is most generally shown in FIG. 2

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as including a medial zone 10 and upper and lower opposed zones 12 and 14. As shown, medial zone 10 presents two rows 16 and 18, each including successive pairs of middle-finger holes and ring-finger holes 20 and 22. The holes of each of rows 16 and 18 extend in a spiral about medial portion 10 as will be observed from a comparison of the positions of the beginning 24 of one row 18 and the ending 26 of row 18. Upper zone 12 is provided with a universally pivotable cap 28 that presents in sequence about its axis a series of thumb holes 30 of increasing diameter. Cap 28 may be locked securely in position by a wing nut 32, which is turned onto a threaded shaft 34 (FIG. 1) that projects through a central opening in cap 23. Lower zone 14 presents an opening in which are carried a series of weights 36, which are held in place by a threaded shaft 38 extending therethrough and onto which a wing nut 40 is turned. It is apparent that the authentic feel of a bowling ball is provided when the thumb of the bowler is inserted into a selected one of thumb hole 30 and the center and ring-fingers are inserted into a selected pair of centerfinger and ring-finger holes 20 and 22.

The internal construction of the device of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6. The balllike configuration generally is shown to have a maximum radius throughout the medial zone 10 and lower zone 14 and a somewhat smaller diameter as indicated by shoulder 42 throughout upper zone 12. It will be observed that finger holes 16 are not as deep as finger-holes 18. The main body of the ball-like configuration is composed of hard rubber and has a circumference of 27 inches. This body in sequence from top to bottom along the vertical axis of the ball is provided with a conical bore 44, an upper seat 46, a lower seat 48, an internally threaded bore and a cylindrical bore 52. It will be observed that the lower diameter of bore 44 is smaller than its upper diameter, the diameter of seat 46 is smaller than that of bore 44, the diameter of seat 48 is smaller than that of seat 46, the diameter of internally threaded bore 50 is smaller than the diameter of seat 48 and the diameter of bore 52 is larger than that of internally threaded bore 50. Turned into threaded bore Sti is an externally threaded metal stud 54, which serves as an anchor in a manner now to be described. Securely fixed within a central cavity in stud 54 is a centrally apertured Washer 55'. Projecting through washer 55 is the lower end of shaft 34. This lower end is retained by a pin 56 and is universally pivotable by virtue of the fact that the diameter of the opening in washer 55 is greater than the diameter of shaft 34. The outer extremity of shaft 34 is threaded as at 60 to receive wing nut 32. Threaded into anchor 54 is the upper extremity of a shaft 38, the lower extremity of which is threaded as at 64.

Upper zone 12 is presented by a solid sector 66, which receives shaft 58 through a bore 63 at its center. Sector 66 has a conical lower surface 7t), a spherical surface '72 in which are thumb holes 30 and a central recess '74 which communicates with bore 68. Inward motion of sector 66 is limited by a cast metal rim 76. Rim 76 presents a surface 78 of spherical configuration which bears against upper zone 12 and a surface of conical configuration which seats surface of sector 66. Sector 66 is keyed to rim 78 by a pin 80 projecting from conical sunface '70 and a slot 82 in the conical section of rim 76. When wing nut 32 is turned onto rod 58, conical 70 of solid sector 66 bears against the conical configuration of rim 76 and spherical configuration 72 of 76 bears against upper zone 12 in such a way as to lock sector 66 in any desired orientation and posit-ion within bore 44. Weights 36 are shown to include a plurality of disks 84 composed of lead and of differing thicknesses. These disks are centrally apertured in such a way as to receive rod 38, and to be 3 locked into position within cylindrical bore 52 by wing nut 40.

In operation, wing nut 40 is removed and weights 84 are selected to provide, in conjunction with the remainder of the ball, the proper weight for the bowler whose hand is being measured. At this point wing nut 40 is tightened. Thereafter, with wing nut 32 loosened, the bowler inserts his thumb into the proper one of holes 72 and his middleand ring-fingers into the proper ones of holes 16 and 18. Holes 16 are designed to provide limited positioning of the middleand ring-fingers into the ball in such a way as to provide finger tip control for bowlers who may desire it. The position of sector 66 is adjusted with respect to the remainder of the ball to provide the bowler with the proper feel. At this point, wing nut 32 is tightened. Now, the bowler may pick up the unit, as he would a real bowling ball, in order to make certain that the adjustment is proper. A plurality of indicia 86, 8S and 90 are provided on rim 78 and on upper zone 12 in order to indicate visually and numerically the finally determined finger-hole relationships. In order to provide an increased number of thumb holes, an alternative sector, shown in FIG. 4 at )2, is provided. This alternative sector may replace the sector shown at 66 in FIG. 5 as desired, its thumb holes being of different size than the thumb holes of sector 66.

The present invention thus provides a device for providing a bowler with the precise feel of a ball that is to be drilled. It provides the sensation of correct weight as well as the sensation of correct finger positionings and sizes. Since certain changes may be made in the above description and drawings without departing from the scope of the invention above disclosed, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A device for fitting a bowling ball to a hand of a bowler, said device comprising a generally ball shaped body presenting a medial zone and a pair of opposed zones on opposite sides thereof, said body having an axis, said medial zone presenting two rows of finger hole pairs, each of said two rows of finger hole pairs being disposed about said axis in said medial portion in a spiral, the holes of one of the spirals being deeper than the holes of the other of said spirals, one of said opposed zones being provided with generally conical cavity having an axis coinciding with said axis of said body, the other of said opposed zones being provided with a generally cylindrical cavity having an axis coinciding with said axis of said body, an anchor disposed in said ball between said generally conical cavity and said generally cylindrical cavity, a pivotal shaft universally pivotally journaled in said anchor and extending into said generally conical cavity, a fixed shaft fixed to said anchor and extending into said generally cylindrical cavity, a solid conical sector having a sequence of thumb holes therein and a central bore therethrough, said thumb holes of said sequence being of successively differing diameters, said pivotal shaft extending through said central bore of said solid conical sector, a flange about said solid conical sector, said flange bearing against the periphery of said generally conical cavity, said solid conical sector having a cavity therein, said pivotal shaft having an externally threaded outer extremity, said fixed shaft having an externally threaded outer extremity, a first manually engageable not having an internally threaded bore turned onto the externally threaded outer extremity of said pivotal shaft, a second manually engageable nut having an internally threaded bore turned onto the externally threaded outer extremity of said fixed shaft, said first nut clamping said flange against said periphery and projecting outwardly beyond the general outer profile of said solid sector when into innermost position, a plurality of selectable heavy metal weights having openings receiving said fixed shaft and being seated in said cylindrical cavity, said second nut clamping said heavy metal weights into said cylindrical cavity and projecting outwardly beyond the general outer profile of the zone of said body having said cylindrical cavity, said cylindrical cavity being open except for said second nut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,188,868 Shepard Jan. 30, 1940 2,453,036 -"ieitsman Nov. 2, 1948 2,726,454 Belski Dec. 13, 1955 3,081,550 l'acksich et a1. Mar. 19, 1963 

